MY NEW EGG TABLE !!! --- 2ND time around

Comments

I'd not stain it, but it's all personal preference. I almost never stain stuff I make. I use recycled old cypress, so darkens up more than the new stuff with a sealant.

One thing you can do, and I did this on the two tables I built, is soak the top in marine epoxy (this stuff) let it cure, sand, then put a couple coats of spar varnish, sanding between coats. The epoxy soaks up into the wood and creates a super strong dent resistant surface (and water proofs it) and the spar varnish keeps the UV rays from yellowing the epoxy. My cypress top is almost a year and a half old and it still looks new.

When ya building your dad's table

How much marine epoxy do I need and where else other than Amazon can I buy it? Lowes? Home Depot?

Lowe's and Home Despot don't sell it. Your best bet would be a marine supply company. This isn't like the thick epoxy that you use for repairs...the chemistry is different - the viscosity is relatively thin and it soaks into wood like gangbusters. It's the epoxy that is used to make wood and fiberglass boats. I use it for any outdoor wood project. Get the pumps so you can meter it out. The set time is pretty long - 20 minutes or so depending on the temp. Mix manageable batches and keep brushing it on until the wood is saturated. The wood needs to be DRY. Ideally you'd put some sealer on the underside - doesn't have to be epoxy - you just don't want uneven expansion from more moisture on one side of the wood than the other.

______________________________________________This is my signature line just so you're not confused.Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr., smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat

Probably a gallon would do it. That link I think is a 1.5 gallon kit. West Marine makes good stuff (same chemistry as the link I sent). The sell it at Marine supply shops.

______________________________________________This is my signature line just so you're not confused.Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr., smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat

Probably a gallon would do it. That link I think is a 1.5 gallon kit. West Marine makes good stuff (same chemistry as the link I sent). The sell it at Marine supply shops.

My butcher block is made of cedar 2x8's...jointed and then glued together. What do you mean about putting a sealer on the underside? As in the underside of the tabletop itself? I read some reviews on the product and they say it finishes hard and clear, almost like glass. I want that look. ???!

Yes, under the top you need some kind of sealer if you seal the top. Same principal as properly installing cedar or redwood siding on a house - if you only seal the outside, it expands more on the inside and cups (warps). Dimensional stability is stabilizing the moisture. Just one coat of spar varnish would do it.

The epoxy finishes shiny - not a look I like. However, it takes on the appearance of the top coat, and I use a satin or semi-gloss spar varnish - you never notice the epoxy...it's just there for longevity and surface hardness.

Here's my table - has the epoxy and a couple coats of spar. You can also hit the finish with ultrafine steel wool and make it mat.

______________________________________________This is my signature line just so you're not confused.Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr., smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat

You can go with a marine spar, don't need the epoxy. But you'll need to re-coat more frequently and spar paint is very soft (designed to flex with wood expansion). Poly will turn an ugly yellow with UV radiation - avoid. I have a tendency to over-design everything - commercial grade quality. With a counter top that big and nice, I think it would be worth the effort - you have the economy of scale.

______________________________________________This is my signature line just so you're not confused.Large and Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr., smoker with a 5k btu AC, gas grill, fire pit, pack of angry cats, two turntables and a microphone, my friend.New Orleans, LA - we know how to eat

This guy is my neighbor and I saw a handyman company van parked in the driveway everyday. He couldn't build this table he doesn't even mow the lawn!!!!! Lol.
Very nice table and I will be over to see he its out together to get mine like it.

You can go with a marine spar, don't need the epoxy. But you'll need to re-coat more frequently and spar paint is very soft (designed to flex with wood expansion). Poly will turn an ugly yellow with UV radiation - avoid. I have a tendency to over-design everything - commercial grade quality. With a counter top that big and nice, I think it would be worth the effort - you have the economy of scale.

NOLAEGGHEAD......I called the local marine supply place and they basically told me I was an idiot and that the AreoMarine 300/21 Epoxy Resin could not be used with cedar. I don't know what to do.

</blockquoteYes I build and sell these tables. I have 3 models to choose from. The table that you are looking at, minus the right side, is the most requested. So basically you have the egg in the middle and storage on the right and left with doors

</blockquoteYes I build and sell these tables. I have 3 models to choose from. The table that you are looking at, minus the right side, is the most requested. So basically you have the egg in the middle and storage on the right and left with doors